Wasn?t Paul Volcker one of the proponents of doing away with the cent?

The former chairman of the Federal Reserve System was undersecretary of the Treasury in the 1970s. Volcker was in fact one of the leaders in the effort to get production of the cent halted.

Didn?t Abraham Lincoln have something to say on the topic of return postage, which seems to be one of your pet peeves?

Indeed! The story is told that a woman autograph collector wrote to Lincoln for a ?sentiment.? In reply she got a letter that read, ?Dear Madam: When you ask of a stranger that which is of use only to yourself, always enclose a stamp. There?s your sentiment, and here?s your autograph. ? A. Lincoln.?

Aren?t those who oppose the abolition of the one cent coin using a rather ?dated? argument?

Perhaps a bit out of context, yes. But the very same argument was advanced in the late 1700s by no less a personage than Alexander Hamilton, who argued for the introduction of the half cent denomination by citing the very real possibility that merchants, for lack of a half cent, would round prices up to a full cent. If this sounds familiar, that?s because it is exactly the argument used today: Prices would be rounded up to the nearest nickel. The current argument ignores the fact that a four-cent rounding today is a small fraction of the value of a half cent in Hamilton?s day.

Address questions to Coin Clinic, Numismatic News, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Because of space limitations, we are unable to publish all questions. Include a loose 41-cent stamp for reply. Write first for specific mailing instructions before submitting numismatic material. We cannot accept unsolicited items. E-mail inquiries should be sent to Answerman2@aol.com.

Answer our latest poll question

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor (Apr. 3, 2018) First Philadelphia cent shows up at a restaurant
I received my first 2018 cents in change at a restaurant in Concord, N.C. on Feb. 26.
Bill Watts
Concord, N.H.
Counterfeit Morgan dollar shows widespread problem
As a long-timer subscriber to Numismatic News, I am constantly amazed by the out-of-touch-with-reality situation at the U.S. Mint. Since they have received no complaints ...